Improvement in revolving fire-arms



A. J. GIBSON.

Revolver.

No. 29,126. Patented July 1x0, 1860 N.FETERS, PHOTO-LITHUGRAFMER. WASHINGTON, D C.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. J. GIBSON, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSlGrNOIt` TO HIMSELF AND I. P. HALE.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 29.126,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. J. GIBSON, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in that class of Fire-'Arms known asBevolvers; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view, mostly in section, of apistol constructed according to my invention, representing its parts in proper relative position for use. Fig. 2 is a top view ofthe same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, representing it in condition for loading.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention relates to revolvers of that kind which have a many-chambered cylinder r0- tating on an axis parallel with a stationary barrel.

The principal object of the invention is to provide greater facility for the loading of the chambers at the rear ot' the cylinder; and to this end it consists in so applying a cham-- bered cylinder having the chambers extended through the rear, in combination with a frame opening with a hinge-joint, that when the frame is opened the cylinder remains attached to and swings with the front part of the frame.

It also consists in the construction of the hinge-jointed cylinder-frame with chambers in its front and rear, to receive within them the entire circumference of the front and rear ed ges of the cylinder for the prevention of the escape of the re and the protection of the hand from being burned.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention,I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A and B represent the two pieces of which the cylinder-frame is constituting the recoil-plate and lower part of the frame, and having the stock Cattached, and the piece B constituting the -front and upper parts, and having the barrel D secured to it. These two pieces are hinged together at e, above the recoil-plate, and connected by `frame A is opened it (the cylinder) composed, the piece A' dated `Iuly 10, 1860.

a spring-bolt, b, or other suitable fastenin g below the barrel.

E is the cylinder, having the chambers c c extended right through its rear. This cylinder is bored out centrally to receive an axis-pin, d, which passes through it and screws into the front part of the piece A of the frame, the said pin having a broad head, d', which secures the cylinder to the piece, A, and which is countersunk into the rear portion of the cylinderv to make the screw 'entirely' independent of the piece B of the frame. By thus attaching the cylinder to the front piece, A, so that when the swings away from the recoil-plate e, along with the front part ot' the frame and the barrel, it is obvious that great facility is afforded for loading at the rear, as on the frame being opened, as shown in Fig. 3, the open rear ends of all the chambers are exposed at once and can be loaded one after the other without moving the cylinder. When the chambers are all loaded the frame is closed up again and the pistol is ready for use.

It isalmost unnecessary to say that with the cylinder having its chambers extended right through its rear it will be desirable, if 'not necessary, to use metallic cartridges, and I propose to use that kind having a liange round the base to contain percussion priming, and for this purpose 4I provide a space between the cylinder and the recoil-plate all round the cylinder, excepting immediately around the central bore or axis-hole ot' the cylinder, where I leave a projection, j', to tit against the recoilplate, and in this projection I form the ratchetnotches g g, in which works the dog by which the revolution of the 'cylinder by the act of cocking the hammer is effected.

The construction of the cylinder-frame with chambers in its front and rear to receive the edges of the cylinder within them is best illustrated in Fig. 2. The chamber in the rear is formed by making a forwardly-projecting rim, t' t', all round the recoil-plate, and the chamber in front is formed by making a backwardlyprojecting rim, jj, all round the front part ot' the frame, which is made o t' circular form. The interiors of these rims are made to fit the exterior ofthe cylinder as snugly as 1s practicable.

The tont end of the cylinder has an annular 1. So applying` a 'so-constructed cylinder, in

recess, 7c, formed in it, the mouths of the chamcombination with a so-constructed frame, that ,bers beingin such recess, and the rear muzzle when the fralneis opened the cylinder remains of the barrel projecting into this recess and attached to and swings with the front part of fitting to the back of it. The surrounding the frame and the barrel,substautia1ly as and marginal portion Zof the cylinder fits up snugfor the purpose herein specified.

1y to the front ot' the frame, and so does the 2. The construction of the hingejointed cylportion m, immediately surrounding the pin d. inder-frame with chambers in its front and rear By thus providing'a groove in the cylinder its ends to receive and cover the front edges ot faceis prevented getting clogged with the residthe cylinder, substantially as and for the puruum of the powder. l pose herein specified, also the recess or cham- 1 do not claim the extension of the chambers ber 7c in the front or forward end of the cyl-v through the rear of the cylinder or the coninder.

struction ofthe frame in two pieces with a A. J. GIBSON.L hinge-joint; but Witnesses:

What I claim as my invention, and desire to CEAS. DEVINs, Jr., secure by Letters Patent, is J oHN BoYDEN. 

